Crescent Moon Rising
by Auktober
Summary: Tifa and a group of WRO soldiers are sent on a routine mission to Fort Condor. Strange events take place on their journey. Will Tifa be able to overcome these trials? What is the story behind the mysterious Captain? Is there a puppeteer moving events behind the scenes? Follows the events of Dirge of Cerberus. One-shot.


This story is a one-shot dedicated to one of my Aunts, who has passed away. I hope you like it!

Crescent Moon Rising

Wine eyes stared despondently, out of the WRO military transport unit's window, watching the barren waste land of Meteor's destruction pass by them. Sighing in irritation, Tifa propped her chin on her fist. _It's hard to believe this was once a grassy plain, _she thought. Boisterous laughter erupted from the back of the truck, and Tifa looked back at them, envious of their mirth. _I should be on that mission with Cloud and Barret, or with Yuffie and Vincent on their mission, ugh! But no! I'm here on this training wheels assignment! Damn you Reeve Tuesti. _She bit the inside of her jaw _I hope the others are alright._

"Our ETA is one hour Miss Lockhart,"

Tifa met the green eyes of the driver and instantly felt guilty for ignoring him, "Thank you, um . . ."

The blonde haired soldier smiled, "Captain Rick Suzumura, but you can call me Rick,"

"I'm sorry, Rick. I have a lot on my mind,"

"Don't be, I could tell with the disagreement you had with Director Tuesti, that you'd rather be doing something else, instead of going on this mission with us,"

"It's not like that, Rick,"

The young Captain shook his head, "Don't worry about it. None of us took it personally, we're short staffed and we're willing to take any help we can get," the truck came to a pause, turning left on another dirt road, "Honestly, we're all just happy to be working with one of the members of AVALANCHE. You guys are legends,"

Blush formed on Tifa's cheeks at the compliment, "Still, I apologize for my behavior back there. Reeve just makes me so angry with his chauvinism, as if I can't take care of myself,"

Rick chuckled, "Maybe he wasn't worried about you," he replied with a shrug, "He needed someone he could trust to protect us, you know, most of us on this mission are newbies,"

Tifa smiled at Rick, "You know something Rick you're a real smooth talker. Thanks for making me feel better,"

"Anytime," he winked at her, before turning his eyes back to the road.

Tifa shook her head, shifting in her seat to include Rick in the ride to Fort Condor.

"So where are you from Rick?"

The Captain shrugged, "I don't know," he looked into Tifa's puzzled face, "well honestly I don't remember anything about my past,"

"What happened?" Tifa tilted her head,

"About a year and a half ago, Cloud and Yuffie rescued me from a laboratory in Modeoheim," he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "I think that's why I've been watched so closely,"

"Hmm," Tifa pondered, "so you don't remember anything?" she asked, concern laced her voice, and Rick shook his head, "I'm so sorry. Now, I feel like a real jerk,"

"Why?" he chuckled, "I've found a place for myself, and I'm doing quite well if I have anything to say about it," the truck rocked, after rolling over debris on the road. "It'll all come back to me when the time is right,"

Tifa nodded her head, "I admire your courage,"

The sound of the men jeering with one another became the background noise as Tifa and Rick entered their private thoughts.

The leader of the fort requested WRO's assistance, which surprised Tifa. She thought it was impossible for the proud General Ramsey of Fort Condor to seek outside help, considering all the trouble AVALANCHE suffered trying to help them. The once dormant Mako Reactor had suddenly came back to life a week ago, and the fort was under near constant attack from monsters.

"I wonder why all the reactors just suddenly sprang to life?" Rick asked, grabbing Tifa's attention once again, who was thinking the same thing.

"I have no clue. It is strange, though. After Meteor fell, the reactors stopped working, and Reeve had all of them dismantled," she frowned, "They shouldn't be able to work,"

"That's what Yuffie told me, but here they are, pumping new mako from the planet," Rick replied with a shrug.

"Well we'll get to the bottom of it. We have the plans to shut the reactor at Fort Condor down right here," she patted the device in her pants pocket. She smiled at Rick, who was grinning back.

"Tell me about your adventures with AVALANCHE, Miss Lockhart," he asked, driving the truck around a curve.

"Please call me Tifa. You're making me feel like an old lady,"

"Sorry, you are no where near being and old lady, Tifa,"

"If I didn't know any better Rick, I would think you were flirting with me," they shared a chuckle, "Well, how about I tell you about our experience at Fort Condor,"

"Please do,"

Tifa opened her mouth to speak, when she noticed the heads of two cadets poking through the space between her and Rick. Silence fell over the truck, and the anxious eyes of the other two men in the back were trained on her, "I guess everyone wants to hear about it huh," she chuckled at their exaggerated nods, "Okay, about four maybe five years ago, we were traveling through this area, and we noticed some Shinra platoons attacking Fort Condor,"

"Whose idea was it to help? I bet it was Cloud's," Rick spoke proudly, but Tifa shook her head.

"Actually it was mine,"

"Yeah right!" the cadet beside Tifa scuffed, "No way,"

Tifa just shook her head, "It's true, Cloud wanted to keep going but Barret and I wouldn't have it,"

"What about Vincent!" a cadet from the back of the truck hollered.

"He was on Cloud's side. Vincent didn't want to get involved either he said 'it's none of our affair',"

The Cadet burst into a fit of laughter, "That sounds about right,"

Tifa shrugged, "Well anyway," but she stopped when she noticed Rick's nose bleeding. "Rick, your nose,"

"Ugh . . . my head," the truck swayed when he released the steering wheel to grab his head.

"Dude!" The Cadet beside Rick reached for the wheel, but the Captain pushed him aside, "Captain,"

"I got it Russo. Wilson," the Cadet beside Tifa looked at him,

"Sir?"

"You and Russo take a seat in the back,"

"What the hell is that?!" Russo shouted out, pointing to a black stream coming their way. Suddenly the truck was tossed from the ground, spinning wildly in the air. Frighten screams were ripped from the people of the vehicle, while they sail across the sky, before crashing to the ground again. Bodies were tossed against the confines of the truck, landing in a tangled heap of arms and legs. Coughs, moans and groans filled the wrecked vehicle as dust and smoke permeated the air.

"Is everyone alright?" Tifa asked, releasing the seatbelt to flip out of her seat. She stood, kicking the shatter windshield across the dry cracked earth. Before she could climb out, she was met by a chorus of menacing growls. Rick cried out in pain, grabbing his head from where he dangled in his seat. She looked over at the Captain then turned to the horrified expressions of Wilson and Russo.

"Snap out of men! We have to fight!" Tifa glared at the expressions of all the young soldiers.

They were all jolted from the scared stupor, nodding in agreement. She turned to Rick, who still clutched his head.

"Stay here, we'll take care of this okay,"

"No, I can help,"

"I gave you an order Rick. Stay here," she turned to the opened window, taking a deep breath before diving out of the truck.

Tifa rolled into a crouch, staring down her enemy. Fifteen shadow-creepers snarled at her, their teeth bared and lips quivering in rage. The blazing sun contrasted against their leathery scale like skin. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, and the warrior's blood pumped in anticipation, the leather gloves creaked as she balled her fist.

"Bring it!" The beasts charged at her and she met them head on, dropping to her knees, she slid under the shadow-creeper that jumped at her. Tifa rolled to her stomach, using her palms to launch her body spinning into the air. Opening her body, she kicked two shadow-creepers across the dirt. Tifa landed in a battle stance, attempting to anticipate the beasts' next moves.

"Duck!" she heard Wilson scream, and she dropped to the ground before a spray of bullets mowed down five of the shadow-creepers.

"Nice!" Tifa yelled, sending Wilson thumbs up, before moving to the next target, she flipped over it, landing on its back. With a resounding crack, the monster fell on its side with a broken neck. Tifa looked at the group of men running towards the fight, their rifles pointed at the enemy. They fired on the shadow-creepers without relent, until only three remained. She scanned the dead, counting only eleven among them,

"Rick," she gasped, turning to the truck. Tifa watched the monster, creeping toward the Captain still trapped in the truck. She ran as fast as she could, coming to a stop when a flash of metal and a spray of blood gashed toward her. Tifa barely missed the fluid. "Rick?!" she called out to him and he hobbled out of the truck.

"I'm alright," he groaned, walking over to her with his katana resting on his left shoulder.

Tifa nodded her head in agreement, "I would say that you were," she replied, reaching out for him. Slinging his arm around her shoulders, Tifa took on his weight with ease.

"Townsend and Edelman can handle the rest," Rick said, pointing the sword at the other soldiers, who were firing on the remaining shadow-creepers.

"I didn't know you were a swordsman," Tifa smiled up at him, "you're just full of surprises,"

"Yeah, I took it up after Cloud rescued me," he grinned back, "the way he wielded it was so impressive, I just had to learn how to move like that,"

"Cap here is a natural!" Wilson said proudly, slapping Rick on the shoulder.

"I'm nowhere near as good as Cloud, but I hope to be one day," Rick said, scratching the back of his head.

"That was the last of them sir," Edelman reported to Rick and Tifa, and she nodded her head.

"Alright men, Fort Condor is about three miles up the mountain," she turned to Russo, "I want you to contact WRO headquarters and let them know the situation and to send us an alternate transport,"

"Yes, sir," he saluted, stepping away to make the call.

"Townsend and Edelman, I want you to look through the truck and see if you can find anything useful,"

"Sir," they ran toward the truck, slipping the rifles over their shoulders.

"Wilson, help me with him," he nodded, taking his other arm. The trio walked over to a boulder a few yards from the truck, leaning Rick against it. "How are you Captain? Can you continue?"

Rick nodded his head, "Yeah, the pain has stopped," he gave her a weak smile. He dug around in his vest pockets, pulling out a pack of tissues.

"Alright, we're gonna rest here for a few minutes," she looked behind them at mountain trail, "we have to complete our mission,"

* * *

Tifa and her squad jogged toward Fort Condor. _We're almost there, _she thought, glancing around at them. The men had their rifles aim, pointing in different directions as they scoped the area. A sense of pride filled her, watching them become a pretty decent unit. _They're getting the hang of it. With a few more missions, they won't need to be supervised. _Tifa looked over at the Captain, whose sword handle poked out of the holder on his back and rifle pointed into the mountains, looking for enemies. She smiled, _Rick is a good leader for them, yeah, I won't have anything to worry about. _

"Tifa?" Rick asked, glancing at her.

"Yeah?"

"Tell me about Cloud. What's he like?"

Tifa giggled, "You really look up to him don't you?" Rick nodded his head and she sighed, "Let's see . . . he's always been shy and quiet. When we were kids, the other village children thought he was weird, but I didn't,"

"Really?" Rick pondered, catching eyes with Tifa, "What else?"

"Um . . . he's always sort of been my hero,"

"I bet!" Russo laughed, "All the female cadets think he's hot,"

"That's not what she means jack-ass!" Wilson fussed at him. Russo frowned at his friend,

"Who you calling a jack-ass,"

"Knock it off Russo," Townsend spoke up, "I want to her what she has to say,"

Tifa giggled at them, "All of you guys look up to Cloud don't you," the sound of affirmative grunts met her, "Okay, he's a really good guy, who can be really moody. Sometimes he's too hard on himself but in the end he manages to pull off the impossible. Just when all hope is lost, Cloud will find that spark to keep fighting,"

"I knew he was the coolest," Edelman proclaimed, sharing a laugh with Townsend, who nodded in agreement.

"He's everything I thought he would be," Rick whispered in reverence, "One day, I want to be just like him,"

Tifa tilted her head at him, "You will,"

"Hmm, you think so?" he locked eyes with her and she nodded her head. His smile faded when she frowned at him, "What's wrong," but grabbed his head when a sharp pain surged through it. Falling to his knees, Rick wreathed in pain. Tifa rushed to his side, trying to offer support.

"Rick breathe," she encouraged, rubbing his back, "slow your breathing or you will hyperventilate,"

The squad looked up at the gunfire coming from over the incline. Tifa looked at the men,

"Edelman, Townsend, and Russo go offer help. You know what to do,"

"Yes, sir," they nodded, running to help defeat whatever was waiting for them. Wilson hooked Rick's arm around his shoulders, but the Captain pushed him back.

"No, I can fight through this, let's go,"

"Rick,"

"Please Tifa, I am good to go. We can't leave it to the others," he pulled his sword out of the holder, pulling himself to his feet, and without another word, he ran up the hill.

"Show off!" Wilson called out, running after him, "At least wait for me!"

Tifa watched the teens running toward the fight, and worry filled her. She slipped her leather gloves back on, following them up the hill. She made quick work of the incline, coming upon utter chaos.

Fort Condor was being overrun by shadow-creepers. The smell of burning buildings and blood invaded her nostrils, making her dry heave. Her watery eyes took in all the destruction, and her heart was heavy at the sight. Dead bodies of shadow-creepers and humans lay forgotten in the streets, and fire blazed across the village. Tifa stood paralyzed, the scene bringing memories that haunted her since she was a teenager.

"Help me!" Tifa saw a woman running with a child in her arms. A shadow-creeper was hot on her trail, nipping at her heels. The little girl in her arms squealed in fright, clinging to the woman. Tifa ran after the monster, grabbing it by the tail and swinging it around until it became disconnecting from the base. The shadow-creeper soared through the air, roaring in pain. Before it had a chance to land, Tifa punched through its chest. A death gurgle eased out of its blood filled mouth.

"Are you guys alright?" she asked jogging to the woman and child. The woman wrapped her arms around Tifa.

"Thank you! Thank you so much,"

"No problem, now get out of here,"

The woman nodded, running with the child to safety. Tifa turned at a loud male roar, finding Rick slicing through three shadow-creepers in one swing. Blood dripped from the katana as he stood glaring at the dead creatures. Tifa narrowed her eyes at him, watching him clutch his head.

"Tifa!"

She turned to find the leader of Fort Condor approaching her, "General Ramsey,"

"It's good to see you again; however, I wish it were under better circumstances," he stood, glaring at the destruction.

"I know," they turned at the sound of close by gunfire, "let's go!"

The General and Tifa ran toward a group of shadow-creepers, advancing on the soldiers. He cut the beasts down, while Tifa kicked and punched her way through them. After killing off the last of the monsters, General Ramsey turned to Tifa.

"Thank you for coming,"

"Thank you for asking, I never thought I would see the day that you would ask for help," she replied, wiping her brow with her forearm.

"As you can see, we needed all the help we could get, besides I heard you were a part of WRO, and requested you personally,"

"Aww, shucks General. You're gonna make me blush,"

"Humph," he grunted, glaring at her. He noticed her squad walking over to her. "The monsters have been attacking for the past week, but never like this . . . this is worst than when we were fighting Shinra." The General sheathed his sword, looking at Tifa, "It seems like we've been fighting a never ending battle. I had the women and children evacuated to the fortress, but . . ." he looked at a mother and son dead on the street, "some didn't make it,"

"You think the reactor is the cause?"

"Yeah, I think so. If we can get up there and shut it down, I believe the monsters won't be attracted to the fort,"

"Well let's get up there and shut it down," Tifa replied with renewed determination.

"What about your men? Do they need to rest or food and water?"

She turned to them and they looked ready to go, but she caught eyes with Rick, who was slumped on his sword, "Rick? Can you keep going?"

"Yeah, the pain is gone, and I'm ready to go," he grinned at Russo, who wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"You sure?" she asked and he nodded his head, turning to General Ramsey, "Lead the way,"

* * *

Tifa, her squad, and General Ramsey walked in silence up the mountain path. She looked over at Rick, who was pale but held a determined gleam in his eyes. Pride filled her. _He's a really tough kid. He reminds me of Denzel. _Looking over at General Ramsey, who was walking beside her, she asked, "Whatever happened to those baby condors?"

He chuckled, "When they were old enough, the baby condors flew away. They still fly around but they have left the nest,"

"That's sad. I wanted to see them before I went back to Edge,"

"Maybe they'll fly by before you go," he smiled at her.

"Tifa you never did finish telling us about your experience here," Edelman said from behind her and the General.

"Well . . ."

"So you were sharing your biased account, eh," Ramsey looked at Edelman and Townsend, "Here's the real story of when we met AVALANCHE,"

"Hey! My account wasn't going to be bias. I was going to tell the truth of how I literally had to beg you to let us help,"

"Humph, we had the situation under control,"

"Yeah, right! The Shinra platoon was whipping you guys real good," Ramsey sneered at her, "but to be fair, Shinra had the best weapons money could buy,"

"Exactly," Ramsey snorted, rolling his eyes to the sky.

"But we had something Shinra didn't have,"

Rick perked his head toward them and the rest of the squad was listening intently. When the silence dragged on too long, Wilson became impatient,

"Yeah? What did you have that Shinra didn't?"

"Cloud," Rick answered for her, wearing a bright smile.

"That's right. We had Cloud,"

They arrived at the base of the reactor and they began climbing the stairs. The squad smiled amongst themselves, chatting incessantly about Cloud.

General Ramsey snorted again, "How is that cocky little bastard?"

Tifa shrugged, "Cloud is Cloud,"

Arriving at the top of the stairs, Tifa reached into her pocket, pulling the device out and scrolling through the information. Once satisfied, she input the codes and the door slid open, and a loud rumble shook the stairs.

"This is it," Tifa said, walking into the reactor. The dark room was illuminated by glowing mako in the reservoir. A long catwalk hung over the deep pool.

"Whoa, look at this place," Edelman exclaimed as he entered. "It's huge!"

Tifa frowned, _this place brings back more bad memories, _"Hurry up guys, let's get this over with," she looked at the device, before turning to Townsend, "There should be a panel for the lights on the wall over there," she pointed and the soldier nodded his head. "Edelman, go with him,"

"Yes, sir,"

"Alright, Wilson and Russo,"

"Sir," they stood at attention and she glanced at the device again.

"There should be a room across the catwalk, with the controls for the release valve to drain all the mako back into the planet. I want you to find it and turn it counter clockwise until you hear the buzzer,"

"Yes, sir,"

Tifa looked up when the lights came on, and she could hear Edelman and Townsend arguing as they walked back to the group.

"Ugh! AHHHAH!" Rick exclaimed, falling to his knees, clutching his head. Tifa knelt beside him.

"What's wrong with him?" General Ramsey asked with a perplexed expression. The General stood over him, watching him carefully.

"Rick? Rick is it worst than before?" Tifa asked, trying to pry his hands from his head. She looked around when the reactor began to shake. Dust floated about from a lack of use and everyone braced themselves. "Wilson! Russo!" she yelled out in panic, watching as they hung on to the catwalk railings. Blistering winds erupted around the reactor, knocking everyone to the ground. Tifa wrapped her arms around Rick, shielding him from harm. He raised his head, locking eyes with Tifa. She gasped, falling backward on her bottom. Rick's pupils were in thin lines. "Rick?"

"I remember everything," he whispered, reaching out for her. She whirled her head around when she heard Russo and Wilson's screams. Black tendrils burst through the mako and was coming towards them. Wilson and Russo ran to the entrance, diving at the last possible moment.

"What the hell is going on here!" General Ramsey exclaimed.

Turning back to the Captain, "Rick?" Tifa asked the frighten teen.

"Help me," tears drizzled down his face, "please,"

The black tendril washed over Tifa and Rick, knocking her out of the way. The tendrils latched on to Rick, dragging him to the mako pool.

"Tifa! Please!" he screamed out to her, reaching out for her. Tifa ran after him, trying to grab his hand.

"Rick! Grab my hand!" she dove for him, just missing the Captain's hand. His screams echoed over the ledge as he disappeared into the mako. The reactor shook violently, Tifa nearly fell into the pool, but Russo grabbed her, pulling the woman to him. She clung to him, looking for the others. Suddenly, the reactor became still and silence descended over the room.

"Is everyone alright?" General Ramsey asked, standing to his feet. Tifa looked at him and nodded, accepting Russo's hand to be hauled to her feet.

"Where's the Captain?" Townsend asked, looking for him.

Everyone turned as the mako exploded, spraying straight to the ceiling. They stepped back, trying to avoid the hazardous toxins.

"What the hell is going on!" General Ramsey shouted, grabbing Tifa's arm. He shook her when she didn't respond, her face pointing to the roof of the reactor. The General trailed her line of sight, noticing a figure hovering above them. "Who the hell is that?" he asked.

"Sephiroth," she whispered. Every eye was trained on him as his ebony wing beat against his back.

"I . . ." Sephiroth began, locking eyes with Tifa, "Am Here,"

"Fire!" General Ramsey shouted at the men and they instantly pointed their guns at the first class SOLDIER, shooting at him without hesitation. Sephiroth held out a hand and all of the bullets lodged in an invisible force field, surrounding him. He raised his fist in front of his face and dragged the other hand across the air, and his sword materialized.

"Hello Lockhart," Sephiroth gave Tifa a harsh grin, "Don't move,"

Tifa tried to raise her arm but found that it was locked in place by her side. A flash of black flew passed her and the cries of her men flowed to her ears. She heard splashes of blood and the falling of bodies. Tifa saw Sephiroth reappear before her eyes and General Ramsey and Russo ran at him. The silver haired man batted the General's sword away, running him through with his own. He then swung Ramsey, who was still dangling on the sword, around, stabbing through Russo as well. Sephiroth released the handle and the men slumped to the ground one on top of the other. He turned to Tifa, grinning maliciously at her. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she was powerless to help them. Russo looked up at her, showing Tifa the grenade before pulling the pin.

"Run Tifa,"

Sephiroth calmly looked at him and darted toward Tifa. She closed her eyes expecting the inevitable, but he pulled her to him, shielding her with his wing and body. Bright flames licked at her bare legs and the reactor trembled. As quickly as the explosion began, it was soon over.

His wing pulled away from them, allowing him to scan for any other enemies. Tifa stared at him in bewilderment. Looking down at her, Sephiroth released Tifa and she fell to her knees. She looked at the charred remains of the General and Russo and wept. He took a step towards her, and she scooted away in a vain attempt to escape.

"Why do humans do that?" he asked her and she gasped when he took another step towards her.

"What?" she whispered, scooting farther away from the evil man.

"Perform feeble acts," he said, tilting his head slightly, "you cannot get away from me, yet you try,"

"Why," she began, daring to look into his emerald eyes, "did you save me?"

"Because you have information I need, and perhaps I felt a touch of nostalgia," he chuckled, kneeling down to face her, "And if you decide that you aren't going to relay the information I need from you," his face harden, "I will rip it from your skull,"

"I'm not telling you anything!" she spat, her warrior's blood beginning to boil. Sephiroth sighed, rolling his eyes to ceiling.

"Feeble acts," he looked at her, "do you want me to hurt you?"

"I will fight you with my last breath," her brave spirit returning to her. She prepared herself.

He nodded his head, "Death will be a reality if you disobey me,"

Tifa kicked up, nailing Sephiroth in the face. She swung her body, landing in a crouch, and an irritated grunt fell from his mouth. Tifa came at him with everything she had, punching and kicking in precise blows. Sephiroth swatted her attacks away with ease. She swung her leg around in a roundhouse and he caught her foot, glaring at her.

"Feeble," he picked her up, spinning her around and Tifa's screams whirled around her head, until he released her and she soared through the air, landing on the wall. She glared at him, springing toward the ex-General. Somersaulting mid-air, Tifa stuck him in the jaw and kneed him in the privates. He bent in pain, catching her leg that was coming at his face. Sephiroth locked eyes with her and punched the warrior in the stomach. Tifa was falling to the ground, but he grabbed both of her arms in one hand, dangling her in the air.

Tifa wiggled in his grasp, "Let me go!"

"This is familiar," he taunted, sneering at her. "I told you it was pointless to fight me. Tell me the location of the Black Materia,"

"Why do you want to destroy us? You're human too,"

Sephiroth slapped her and grabbed her chin, "Do not ever call me human. I am a god. I am the chosen one and cannot be compared to you weak creatures,"

A stream of blood drizzled from her mouth. She glared at him, gesturing with her head, "That red blood oozing down your face says differently,"

Sephiroth wiped his mouth with his gloved hand inspecting the fluid. Tifa planted both feet into his chest, flipping out of his grasp. Just as she attempted to charge him, Sephiroth grabbed her by the throat, slamming her into the wall behind them. She coughed, slumping against him. He dragged her up the wall, pinning her with his body.

"Well played girl,"

Tifa pushed against his chest in a feign attempt to free herself. "I wasn't playing I just took the opportunity," she locked eyes with him, "Cloud will stop you,"

"Hmm," he replied, studying her, "You have always been different. When I was in the lifestream, I watched you,"

Tifa stopped struggling, looking at him puzzled, "Why?"

"Amusement," he chuckled at the growl that rolled out of her chest, "You never cease to hope, and it is a concept the puzzles me about you," he titled his head, "You chase after that puppet, when there is no chance that he will ever love you the way you love him," she began struggling again, "Settle down," he commanded, applying pressure to her neck and she stilled. "You believe that Cloud can stop me this time, and I know that he cannot,"

"He will stop you!" Tifa wheezed around his hand.

Ignoring her, Sephiroth continued, "And deep down, Lockhart, you should hate me, but you don't. Even after everything I have done, you do not hate me,"

"Humans have the capacity to forgive. Not that I have completely forgiven you, but what is the point? Hate breeds more hate and the cycle continues,"

"Hmm," he pondered, "Perhaps in the new world I create, I will adopt that philosophy,"

"What about this world?"

"I'm going to burn it to the ground," he dead-panned.

Tifa renewed her thrashing, "I'm not going to let you,"

"You have no choice," he cooed, rubbing his gloved knuckles against her cheek. Her eyes widen at the gentle display. His eyes washed over her, "perhaps, I will make a place for you, in my world," he removed his glove with his teeth, putting it in his pocket with his free hand.

"Huh?" she stared at him, "what are you talking about?"

"Hold still," he ripped open her shirt, glancing at the scar he put there. He ran his bare fingers along the keloid flesh, "Brace yourself, this will hurt," Sephiroth covered her lips with his own, and a scream caught in her throat when his hand tore through her stomach. Tears streamed down her cheeks, flowing over Sephiroth's face. Removing his hand, he cast curaga on her, closing the wound.

"There," he gently laid her on the ground. Sephiroth watched her for a moment, before turning to his sword, "see you around Lockhart,"

Tifa watch the ex-General walk towards his sword, jerking it from the charred bodies. She gasped at the blackness creeping across her vision. Giving into the darkness, the whirring of helicopter blades was last sound she heard.

~The End~

* * *

That's that folks! I hope you liked it, and I hoped that it honored my Aunt! Adios!

~Auktober


End file.
